Work With Us
Decades of specialized waterfront expertise, dedicated to achieving exceptional outcomes for buyers and sellers along the South Sound shoreline.
For Sellers
How We Sell Your Property Effectively
Selling waterfront property requires specialized knowledge that goes far beyond traditional real estate. Our proven process maximizes your return while minimizing time on market.
A History of Success
A Process Refined Over
30 Years
Every waterfront property tells a unique story: the way morning light catches the water, the sound of waves against the bulkhead, the view of Mount Rainier at sunset. Our job is to translate that story into a compelling narrative that resonates with qualified buyers who understand the value of life on the water.
We begin with a comprehensive property assessment that evaluates not just the home, but the waterfront itself: tideland ownership, dock condition, bank stability, view corridors, and shoreline characteristics. This deep understanding allows us to position your property with precision, targeting the specific buyer profile most likely to pay a premium for your property’s unique attributes. Beyond our waterfront focus, the team closes 40 to 50 homes a year overall.
1 3 - 2 0
Salt Waterfront Homes Sold Each Year
4 - 5 x
More Salt Waterfront Sales Than the Next Most Active Agent
$ 4 2 0 M +
Career Sales Volume
3 5 +
Years of Combined Experience
01
Strategic Pricing Analysis
Pricing waterfront is an art, not a science. As Spence puts it, the data matters, but knowing how waterfront actually behaves in this market matters more. Our finger is on the pulse of the salt waterfront market because we live in it every week, and that experience tells us how buyers will weigh the things that truly move a waterfront price: the quality of the view, the beach and its access, the bank, the moorage. We price to that reality, not to a formula, so your home lands where the right buyer sees its value.
02
Premium Property Preparation
We walk every property in detail and build a prep plan around what will actually move the needle. Then we connect you with the right people to do it: trusted contractors, landscapers, stagers, and whatever other trade the job calls for. Just as important, we coordinate the schedules and property access so everything lines up, keeping the work as easy and hands-off for you as possible.
03
Marketing
When you list with us, the entire marketing effort is ours to fund, at no cost to you. Our six-part marketing strategy, detailed below, reaches qualified waterfront buyers wherever they are.
04
Negotiation & Close
This is where waterfront deals are won or lost. Waterfront transactions carry contingencies a general agent rarely sees: tideland ownership, septic near the shoreline, bulkhead and bank condition, dock and moorage rights, geotechnical questions. We know where these deals go sideways, and we head off the problems before they cost you the sale or the price. When issues surface in inspection or title, we negotiate from experience and data, not guesswork, and we hold your position through a closing more complex than most. Your interests stay protected all the way to the recording of the sale.
Marketing Excellence
Expert Marketing Strategy
When you list with us, the entire marketing effort is ours to fund, at no cost to you. Here is how we reach qualified waterfront buyers wherever they are.
Professional Photography
We commission HDR photography, golden-hour exterior shoots, and twilight sessions that capture the magic of waterfront living. Every image is professionally edited to showcase your property’s finest attributes and the stunning natural setting.
Aerial Drone & Video
FAA-licensed drone operators capture sweeping aerial footage that reveals your property’s full waterfront context, the shoreline, surrounding landscape, and proximity to water. Cinematic property tours bring the experience to life for remote buyers.
Digital Presence
Your listing is showcased on our high-traffic website, syndicated across major real estate portals, and featured in targeted social media campaigns that reach waterfront-interested buyers throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Annual Waterfront Report
Every listing is featured in our annual Salt Waterfront Report, mailed to all salt waterfront owners in the county, a reach no other brokerage offers. Featured listings receive premium exposure to a highly qualified audience.
Buyer Network Access
Over 30 years, we’ve cultivated an exclusive database of qualified waterfront buyers, many of whom are waiting for the right property. Pre-market outreach to this network often generates offers before a listing goes public.
Targeted Outreach
Custom property brochures, direct mail campaigns to waterfront neighborhoods, and email marketing to our subscriber base ensure your listing reaches the most likely buyers through multiple touchpoints.
Complimentary Service
Start Your Valuation Request
Curious what your waterfront property is worth in today’s market? Whether you are thinking about selling, planning ahead, or simply want to know where you stand, we’ll prepare a detailed, personalized valuation built on recent comparable sales, waterfront footage, tideland and dock value, and the specific things that set your property apart.
A waterfront home is not something an online estimate can price. Automated tools miss the factors that matter most on the water, so every valuation we prepare is done by hand, by our team, using proprietary data from decades of salt waterfront sales right here in Thurston County.
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Comparable waterfront sales analysis
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Price-per-waterfront-foot evaluation
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Tideland and dock value assessment
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View, bank, and beach access assessment
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Personalized pricing strategy
Property Valuation Request
Share a few details about your property and we’ll reach out to schedule a time to walk it with you. Because we value waterfront in person, not with an algorithm, you’ll have a detailed valuation within three to five business days of that visit.
Valuing a non-waterfront home or land? Reach out on our Contact page and we will help with that too.
For Buyers
All You Need to Know as a Waterfront Buyer
Purchasing waterfront property involves considerations a general agent may not handle every day. Here’s what you need to know before making one of the most significant investments of your life.
Each of Thurston County’s four salt waterfront peninsulas has its own character and price point. Boston Harbor blends a maritime village with easy boating access, Cooper Point pairs historic golf with quick access to Olympia, Steamboat Island is the most rural and private, and Johnson Point offers open water on Nisqually Reach with Mount Rainier views. Explore each on its own page to find your fit.
Understanding Tidelands
Tideland ownership is one of the biggest factors in waterfront value. Some parcels convey privately owned tidelands, which can carry exclusive use and shellfish harvest rights, while others front state-owned tidelands held in public trust. Confirm in the title and deed exactly which tidelands convey, and what rights come with them, before you make an offer.
No-Bank, Low-Bank, and High-Bank
Not all waterfront is the same, and the bank is one of the biggest drivers of use and price. No-bank and low-bank properties sit right at the water with easy, walkable beach access, and they command a premium. High-bank and bluff properties trade that easy access for elevation and sweeping views, usually reached by a stairway or tram, while medium-bank sits in between. Match the bank type to how you actually want to use the water before you fall for a view.
Shoreline Regulations
Anything within 200 feet of the water falls under the state Shoreline Management Act and Thurston County’s Shoreline Master Program, which set buffers and limit what you can build, remodel, or clear near the shore. The county’s Critical Areas Ordinance adds rules for bluffs, wetlands, and habitat. Buffers and setbacks vary by the parcel’s shoreline designation, and the county’s rules are being updated. If you plan to add a structure, remove vegetation, or armor the bank, confirm what is allowed for that specific property before you buy. An existing legal structure may be grandfathered but not something you can expand.
Dock & Moorage Rights
An existing, permitted dock is a significant asset, because new dock construction is hard to permit and often takes a year or more through shoreline, state, and federal review. A property with an existing dock or a shared-dock agreement offers water access a new build cannot easily replicate. Where a dock is not feasible, a permitted mooring buoy can be an alternative. If a property has a dock, confirm it was permitted, since an unpermitted structure can become the buyer’s problem.
Waterfront-Specific Inspections
Beyond a standard home inspection, waterfront calls for specialized checks: bulkhead condition, bank or bluff stability (a geotechnical review for higher banks), septic function and its setback from the water, well water quality, and a survey of the tideland boundary. Older waterfront homes may also have a buried oil tank worth locating. These are the issues that are costly and easy to miss without the right eyes.
Financing Waterfront Property
Waterfront often calls for specialized lending. Higher-value homes can exceed conforming loan limits and need a jumbo loan, a flood-zone designation can require flood insurance, and a failing septic, unpermitted addition, or structural issue can keep a home from qualifying for conventional financing until it is resolved. We connect buyers with lenders who know waterfront.
Ready to Find Your Waterfront Home?
Our team will guide you through every step of the waterfront buying process, from identifying the right peninsula to navigating complex inspections and closing.
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Personalized property search
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Peninsula tours and orientation
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Waterfront-specific due diligence
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Expert negotiation support
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Trusted vendor referrals
Beyond the Water
Waterfront Is Our Specialty, Not Our Limit
Olympia Waterfront is where we made our name, and salt waterfront is what we know better than anyone in Thurston County. But our clients own all kinds of property, and we are glad to help with all of it: vacant land, multifamily, and non-waterfront homes across the area. Waterfront is the most demanding real estate there is, and the same care we bring to those transactions goes into every listing and every purchase, wherever it sits. On the water or off it, we would be glad to work with you.
Not on the water? We work with every kind of property, so reach out either way.